PERANAN GURU TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN BAHASA ANAK AUTIS DALAM PROSES PEMBELAJARAN DI SEKOLAH LUAR BIASA NEGERI AUTIS SUMATERA UTARA

Abstrak

Anak autis lebih non-verbal daripada disabilitas intelektual: kata belum keluar, sulit komunikasi dua arah, speech delay, cadel, meski paham instruksi. Pengembangan metode pembelajaran khusus dan terstruktur diperlukan untuk atasi hambatan bahasa anak autis. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Metode kualitatif dipilih karena penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami dan mendeskripsikan peranan guru terhadap perkembangan bahasa anak autis dalam proses pembelajaran kelas Tunagrahita dan Kelas Autis di Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri Autis Sumatera Utara. Kolaborasi antara guru dan orangtua menjadi kunci keberhasilan dalam mengoptimalkan perkembangan bahasa anak autis. Guru perlu memberikan edukasi kepada orangtua tentang kondisi anak dan strategi pembelajaran yang diterapkan di sekolah, sementara orangtua harus memberikan feedback tentang perkembangan dan perilaku anak dirumah. Sinkronisasi informasi dan penerapan pendekatan yang konsisten antara lingkungan sekolah danrumah sangat penting karena anak cenderung berinteraksi lebih intens dirumah. Berdasarkan penelitian yang dilakukan di Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri Autis Sumatera Utara, dapat disimpulkan bahwa peran guru sangat penting dan strategis dalam mengembangkan kemampuan bahasa anak autis selama proses pembelajaran. Guru tidak hanya berfungsi sebagai pengajar, tetapi juga berperan sebagai orangtua kedua di sekolah yang membantu anak dalam mengembangkan kemampuan komunikasi melalui interaksi yang intensif dan konsisten.

Children with autism are more non-verbal than those with intellectual disabilities: they do not speak, have difficulty communicating, have speech delays, and stutter, even though they understand instructions. The development of special and structured learning methods is needed to overcome the language barriers of children with autism. This study used a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. The qualitative method was chosen because this study aims to understand and describe the role of teachers in the language development of autistic children in the learning process of the Tunagrahita and Autism Classes at the North Sumatra State Special School for Autism. Collaboration between teachers and parents is key to optimizing the language development of autistic children. Teachers need to educate parents about their children's condition and the learning strategies applied at school, while parents must provide feedback on their children's development and behavior at home. Synchronization of information and consistent application of approaches between the school and home environments are very important because children tend to interact more intensely at home. Based on research conducted at the North Sumatra State Special School for Autism, it can be concluded that the role of teachers is very important and strategic in developing the language skills of autistic children during the learning process. Teachers not only function as educators, but also act as second parents at school who help children develop communication skills through interaction.